Doesn't surprise me none. He was their first round pick (I actually booed him when they announced his name) and they're going to want to see how he stacks up compared to what we currently have. He wont make the team and will be sent back down to Spokane for more seasoning, but it'll be a good experience for him.

I am happy for Grabner. I think this will be a good experience for him. I am sure he won't make the team but it should give him more confidence and motivation to improve his game. I hope to see him with the club in one or two years.

Why do you keep banging your head on the wall?
Because it feels good when I stop.

gobi wrote:I am happy for Grabner. I think this will be a good experience for him. I am sure he won't make the team but it should give him more confidence and motivation to improve his game. I hope to see him with the club in one or two years.

Quite honestly I think he'll be another 1st round bust. I just dont see enough talent in him to be the NHL game breaker that some people expect him to be. He'll be another Josh Holden.

Grabner will be tested and played in the NHL this year. Whether he stays there will depend on how he does...obviously. He seems to be a goal scorer...so maybe hed fit in with the sedins, but again, depends on how he does against the pros.

gobi wrote:I am happy for Grabner. I think this will be a good experience for him. I am sure he won't make the team but it should give him more confidence and motivation to improve his game. I hope to see him with the club in one or two years.

Quite honestly I think he'll be another 1st round bust. I just dont see enough talent in him to be the NHL game breaker that some people expect him to be. He'll be another Josh Holden.

Whoa, way too early to be judging the guy. He is a late '87 birthdate, and will take some seasoning before a real assessment can be made.

As well, for a guy who was projecting Bernier as a good sleeper pick to play with the Sedins, I am not too sure how much stalk to put into your ideas around Grabner...

Grabner was through to the main camp as soon as they called his name on draft day. It's what you do with your first round picks. He'll probably also be one of the last cuts to give him the most time and experience as possible in camp.

hench wrote:Grabner will be tested and played in the NHL this year. Whether he stays there will depend on how he does...obviously. He seems to be a goal scorer...so maybe hed fit in with the sedins, but again, depends on how he does against the pros.

he won't get signed, and won't be playing in the NHL this year.

for one thing, the canucks can't afford to add a rookie max contract to the payroll... and 2ndly, he's not NHL ready at all to even bother signing him.

He was invited to main camp because he's a 1st round pick... he could have stunk out the joint in the rookie camp, and would still head to main camp... no surprise at all.

I don't think we'll see Grabner in the NHL barring a major injury bug to our offensive guys, who frankly can't be replaced by the likes of Mike Brown and Rick Rypien, even then, he'd have to demonstrate that he was developing fast enough to step in without it being a waste of anyone's time. I don't think we'll want to start burning up our RFA time with him, regardless if that means less with Booby Clarke.

I think Grabner is exactly what the Canucks said he was going to be, high risk or high reward...he'll either be a star offensive player, or he'll be Harold Druken, but we can't predict that now, and I'm happier with this given that we NEED offensive guys, as good as Kesler was, I was a bit distraught when we used our draft pick that year (which was DEEP) to go with Kesler, only for Burke to announce he was a "safe" pick, would definitely make it to the NHL and soon, but have an upside as an "elite third liner"... Those guys are easier to replace than the gifted goal scorers, so you take your risks when you go after them, it takes balls but that's what it takes to win.